Home entertainment Options

[rivercottage]

Hi guys

im stuck between two ideas, my old TV finally died in a plume of smoke and sparks, so I think its time I went flat screen and serious!

The two options im thinking of are:

refurb/2nd hand IMAC 24" with digital tuner - use for tv, movie watching from itunes etc, music

or

32' Flat screen TV Hooked up to an apple TV box and maybe some speakers

Any ideas? Im a bit stuck


RiverCOttage

 

[brad.c]

Assuming a Spinal Tapish error, I say go for the 32" screen + tv. However, if you truly have the space, a 32' screen would kick serious posterior.

 

[Cave Man]

How about option 3:

Refurb Mac Mini with a 37" TV...

 

[rivercottage]

Funny you should mention, I was also thinking of the mac mini route, maybe even a g4 mac mini from ebay would do the job? Can front row stream music/videos/ photos/podcasts from my main computer though?


RiverCottage

 

[Cave Man]

Funny you should mention, I was also thinking of the mac mini route, maybe even a g4 mac mini from ebay would do the job?

I wouldn't get a G4 Mini. It won't handle H.264 decoding very well.

Can front row stream music/videos/ photos/podcasts from my main computer though?

Yes, it will do all that. Of course, if you're wireless, you'll want to minimize your bitrate, depending on the codec. Streaming VOBs will be tough since MPEG-2 is kind of bloated, but MPEG-4 (especially with H.264 encoding) will play very nicely. I have most of my DVDs encoded as 2500 bitrate MPEG-4 with H.265 encoding and AC-3 5.1 digital audio.

 

[brad.c]

Actually, I do have a mini (1.66Ghz Core Duo) hooked up to my TV instead of an tv. (See other threads where this has been debated/compared in great depth, and which arguments apply to you.)

Whichever you like, I recommend having a dedicated TV screen+tuner vs putting a iMac on your TV stand. Reasons:
- easier for the non-tech savvy users who may reach for your remote
- if one breaks, you still have the other
- bigger screen for less $$ (in the tv coupling, anyways)
- more video inputs for future Blu-ray/video consoles/etc